Happy Election Day!

We’ve seen a lot of economic indicators lately, signs our societal habits are changing, as just about everything gets more expensive and wages stay the same.

👉 More households are delinquent with their mortgages than ever before

👉 Texas restaurants are closing at an alarming rate

👉 More Americans are going uninsured after the drop in ACA subsidies in December

But another interesting marker is that the Coach outlet in Allen is opening a coffee shop soon. I thought this was odd. Who cares if you can now get coffee and a muffin at Coach? So many people can’t afford Coach, even the people who used to be able to. Luxury purses are so not on the average American’s radar right now. So I looked it up: Why would a brand like Coach invest in this right now?

Turns out, execs know we’re not thinking about the brand, and they’re hoping to attract more foot traffic by creating a multifunctional space. They’re really betting on Gen Z to buy the expensive stuff. Will it work? Time will tell, but I’m pretty sure that generation is in the midst of a major employment crisis and either still living at home or with multiple roommates to make ends meet. But coffee can be convincing, so I won’t write off Coach’s plan yet.

I know you’re probably still in that post-holiday haze, but make sure you head to the polls today if you haven’t already. I believe it took me four minutes, start to finish, and with the state of the country right now, I’d spend 40 minutes if it meant people could afford to live well again (and buy designer bags 😉). Find your nearest polling place here.

A food desert refers to an area where residents struggle to access fresh, healthy, and affordable food. (Maria Lin Kim/Unsplash)

By Joey Held

How easy is it for you to get groceries? For many Americans, it’s something they barely think about. They might have multiple stores within walking or short driving distance, or they can easily hop on a train or a bus when they need to stock up. But for millions of people, it’s a much more challenging endeavor. They don’t have nearby access to groceries or other healthy eateries. The closest option could be miles away, and they may only be able to get there on foot. 

In Dallas, these food deserts are a particularly common occurrence. Over a third of the city’s residents—a whopping 36%—live in food deserts. The US Department of Agriculture found there are high concentrations in South Dallas, West Dallas, and parts of East Dallas where these food deserts are most prominent.

🕵️ Lost by 2, or won by 1? A candidate for the Westworth Village City Council lost his election by two votes during the May 2 election. But he’s filed a lawsuit in the Tarrant County District Court, claiming that three of his competitors’ votes were illegal. Read more about the couple and the deceased woman he’s citing to prove his case. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

🚖 Waymo no mo’: The robotaxis have been acting up, so brand Waymo has suspended its service in all Texas cities. This comes after a number of safety concerns have been reported, including driving around barricades, illegally passing school buses picking up students, and more than a dozen crashes throughout the state. (Fox 4)

🏅 No plan-o ice skater: Olympic gold medalist and Plano native, Amber Glenn, will be honored during a public proclamation ceremony on Thursday. Glenn was the first ever openly queer woman to represent the US National Team as an individual skater.

Recently, the Dallas Morning News asked its readers what restaurants they wanted in DFW. They shared a pretty long list of brands North Texans were longing for, from the Austin-based burger stand P. Terry’s to the Carolina fast food chain Cook Out (one I very much second).

Ironically, the newspaper released an article the same day highlighting how Dallas-Fort Worth is the first thought when popular national brands want to expand, citing restaurants like In-N-Out and Dave’s Hot Chicken. They come to DFW first, before considering other Texas cities. I guess we can have it all and still want more.

So tell me, what restaurants are missing from the DFW food scene?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere with reporting by Joey Held. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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